The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to a heat dissipation apparatus for cooling an information handling system component that utilizes an empty information handling system component slot.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Many IHSs include a plurality of components slots that couple IHS components such as, for example, memory components, to the IHS. As the power of these components increases, the cooling of the components can raise a number of issues.
For example, it may be desirable to include Fully Buffered Dual Inline Memory Modules (FBDIMMs) coupled to some of the component slots in the IHS. Typically, the FBDIMMs will occupy less than half of the component slots available for the FBDIMMs in the IHS. However, because a fan is used to provide airflow past the FBDIMMs in order to cool the FBDIMMs, the empty component slots result in air passageways between the FBDIMMs that allow air to bypass the FBDIMMs without cooling them.
Conventional solutions include positioning blanks in the empty component slots in order to minimize airflow bypass and increase the airflow velocities adjacent the FBDIMMs in order to ensure the proper cooling of the FBDIMMs. However, as the power of FBDIMMs continues to increase, such cooling solutions may not be sufficient to allow the FBDIMMs to operate at full capacity.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a heat dissipation apparatus absent the disadvantages discussed above.